BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
An Osun State Magistrate’s Court sitting in Ede has sentenced four men to six months imprisonment each for conspiring to intimidate some residents with soldiers over a land matter.
The convicted men included 60-year-old Lamidi Adisa, Adeyemo Gideon, aged 35; Alabi Fatai, 30; and Buliaminu Azeez, 30.
The four men were accused of conspiring with others now at large to threaten Olaiya Nurudeen and Adio Sarafa – and also for causing breach of public peace.
The police prosecutor, Inspector Asanbe Kayode, during hearing, explained that the acts were committed on September 30, 2020 at about 7am at Agbale area, Ede.
The charge brought against them read that the “convicts and others now at large, at the same time and place, did conspire with yourselves to commit offences including threat to life and conduct likely to cause breach of peace.
“You did threaten the lives of one Olaiya Nurudeen and Adio Sarafa with armed men presumed to be soldiers. You conducted yourselves in a manner likely to cause breach of the peace by taking four men suspected to be soldiers to Agbale area, Ede to threaten and intimidate Nurudeen and Sarafa.”
Kayode said that the offences are contrary to and punishable under sections 516, 86 and 249(d) of the Criminal Code, Cap 34, Volume II, Laws of Osun State, 2002.
The convicts pleaded not guilty to the three counts, but the court found them guilty on the count of conspiracy to intimidate the complainants with armed soldiers.
Magistrate D. O. Ajiboye, while delivering her ruling, struck out counts two and three bothering on threat to life and causing breach of the peace of the public.
Ajiboye sentenced the four men to six months jail term each with an option of N20, 000 fines.
The Magistrate turned down the prayer of the defence counsel, Bola Ige that the court should reduce the fines awarded to his clients.
